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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Peter Dierks who wrote (672235)	2/15/2005 1:06:32 AM
From: Cogito	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

>>Yes, you are correct, MediCare is much worse. If we cannot make the necessary changes to patch SS, how can any politicians be expected to address MediCare?<< Peter - So you agree that MediCare is in worse shape than Social Security, and you think that the President should focus on just one issue and leave the next one to future Presidents. How, then, does it make sense to focus on the less urgent issue? And when focusing on that less urgent issue, how does it make sense to concentrate on a change to the system that doesn't address the issue? - Allen

To: Peter Dierks who wrote (672235)	2/15/2005 1:35:43 AM
From: Cogito	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

>>Actually, the shortfall in Social Security should only be temporary, though lasting a couple of decades. Requiring 75% of the federal budget by 2075. Based on my understanding it is not transitory. There are things we can do to change the math. One solution would be to increase retirement age.<< Peter - Where do you get a figure like 75% of the federal budget? Here's a discussion of the real shortfall numbers. cbpp.org Here's the line that speaks directly to the numbers: "The Social Security and Medicare Trustees, a majority of whom are members of the President’s cabinet, project that the Social Security shortfall will amount to 0.65 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (the basic measure of the size of the U.S. economy) over the next 75 years. In dollar terms, the Trustees project the shortfall over the 75 year period at $3.7 trillion." - Allen